The Curse of Kaniaku is the eighth episode of season 2 of Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!, and the thirty-eighth overall.
Premise[]
Fred tries to solve a seven-hundred-year-old mystery in Japan, while Daphne becomes a viral sensation.
Synopsis[]
Mystery Inc. visits Tokyo, meeting Velma's science lab partner, Aki. However, they encounter a janitor storming out of a bathhouse with a sumo wrestler, quitting and leaving behind the owner, Mr. Uehara. The janitor and sumo wrestler were attacked by Kaniaku, a crab demon from a legend. According to the legend, a cook was turned into Kaniaku by the gods after failing to make a recipe correctly, as the golden scroll containing the recipe was stolen. As the scroll was never found after seven hundred years, Fred was determined to find it, but the other members wanted to tour the city first.
Shaggy and Scooby visit a seafood restaurant, but overhearing a customer mentioning the "Norowareta Reshipi," Shaggy orders it, only for them to be kicked out of the restaurant. In the streets, they encounter Kaniaku and run. Meanwhile, Velma and Daphne try on kimonos at a kimono tailor shop owned by Mr. Kagawa, but Daphne struggles to put hers on correctly. However, Aki takes a picture of her in her badly-worn kimono, which leads her to become famous on the internet. They reunite with Shaggy and Scooby, but Officer Hiroshi appears, warning them not to investigate as it would disrupt the festival that night.
At the festival, Daphne finds she has become internet-famous for her badly-worn kimono. Fred finds an old newspaper clipping showing that the Kagawa Seafood Company was sold. However, as Shaggy and Scooby look in the window of a fishery, they encounter Kaniaku again. The monster attacks the parade, destroying the festival. However, as the monster disappears just before Hiroshi arrives, Toshiro blames Aki for the incident, bringing her entire family to the police station.
Velma feels like she dishonored Aki and Japan, but Shaggy and Scooby tell her it is not her fault and it is Fred's fault, which upsets Fred. Though Mystery Inc. is disheartened, they note the pink substance left on Scooby's coat, identified as fish sauce. Fred also notes a billboard advertising new condominiums being built over the Kagawa Seafood Company.
After Hiroshi releases Mystery Inc., they go to the Kagawa Seafood Company to capture the monster. After Shaggy and Scooby lure the monster into appearing, Kaniaku chases them through the conveyor belts, avoiding the various machinery. However, Fred's intended trap fails as he loses control over the net meant to capture the monster. Kaniaku continues to chase Shaggy and Scooby until one of the machines crushes the monster and pins it to the conveyor. Once the authorities and the press arrive, Mystery Inc. unmasks the monster.
Fred unmasks Kaniaku and reveals that he is Mr. Kagawa. His family owned the seafood company until they were forced to sell it to Mr. Uehara for financial reasons, so Mr. Kagawa swore to take it back and get revenge against Uehara. Kagawa used the legend of Kaniaku to scare away Uehara's customers and employees, as he wanted to bankrupt Uehara so he could buy back his family's seafood company and stop Uehara from destroying it to build condominiums. After Kagawa is arrested by authorities, Daphne, using her new-found influence, decides to promote Velma's fashion style. Fred also accidentally finds the golden scroll, left there by the bandits seven centuries prior. Uehara reveals it is the "Norowareta Reshipi," or "Cursed Recipe."
Characters[]
Main characters:
Supporting characters:
- Aki (only appearance)
- Mr. Uehara (only appearance)
- Officer Hiroshi (only appearance)
Villains:
- Kaniaku (only appearance)(no lines)(Mr. Kagawa's disguise)
- Mr. Kagawa (only appearance)
Other characters:
- Sumo wrestler (only appearance)
- Janitor (only appearance)
- Newscaster (only appearance)
- Cook (only appearance)(no lines)(fantasy)
- Princess (only appearance)(no lines)(fantasy)
- Spirit of the Sea (only appearance)(no lines)(fantasy)
- Bandits (only appearance)(no lines)(fantasy)
- Miscellaneous citizens (only appearance)(miscellaneous speaking)
- Chef (only appearance)
- Customer (only appearance)
- Aki's father (only appearance)
- Aki's mother (only appearance)
- Mr. Kagawa's father (only appearance)(no lines)(flashback only)
- Mr. Kagawa's mother (only appearance)(no lines)(flashback only)
- Reporter (only appearance)
- Cameraman (only appearance)(no lines)
Locations[]
- Tokyo, Japan
- Uehara Bathhouse
- Subway station
- Cook's home (fantasy)
- Restaurant
- Game place
- Kimono tailor shop
- Police station
- Shizuka Pier
- Kagawa Seafood Company (main story and fantasy)
Objects[]
- Bucket
- Mop
- CD Walkman
- Newspaper
- Fan
- Golden Scroll (main story and flashback)
- Cameraman's camcorder
- Giant inflatable Daphne
Vehicles[]
- Sumo wrestler's truck
Suspects[]
| Suspect | Motive/reason |
|---|---|
| Officer Hiroshi | Always appeared out of nowhere. |
| Mr. Uehara | He didn't believe that Kaniaku was real. |
Culprits[]
| Culprit | Motive/reason |
|---|---|
| Mr. Kagawa as Kaniaku | To ruin Mr. Uehara in revenge and take back his family's company. |
Cast[]
Songs[]
| Song | Credits | Performed by |
|---|---|---|
| "Dreaming of Chocolate" | Written by Jake Monaco and Zach Robinson | Marisa De Silva |
| "Run Away Heart" | Written by Jake Monaco and Zach Robinson | Marisa De Silva |
Continuity[]
- One of the dishes Shaggy and Scooby-Doo are offered as Japanese delicacies is "Dorsal Foot". Dorsal Foot was the monster in the earlier episode Some Fred Time.
- When Aki and her friends greet Daphne, dressed in her "Jackwards" style, one friend has a Daphne hand puppet and the other is wearing a beard - imitating Daphne from the episodes Mystery 101 and Poodle Justice, respectively.
Notes/trivia[]
- The Mystery Machine is absent.
- Originally in the script, Daphne was against the attention she was getting because it lost her individuality.
Miscellaneous[]
- Disguises: Shaggy as Japanese dance video game host and Scooby as Japanese game player; Shaggy and Scooby as architects.
- Traps: Fred uses a fishing net to capture Kaniaku on a conveyor belt (trap failed); Fred uses a machine to crush Kaniaku.
- Clues: A newspaper headline reading "Kagawa Seafood Company Bought Out"; a pink residue; a billboard advertising condominiums built over the Kagawa Seafood Company.
- Daphne Du Jour: Becoming a cultural icon/viral sensation for her badly-worn kimono.
Cultural references[]
- During the chase scene, when the gang sees Kaniaku, they are momentarily rendered as Chibi versions of themselves, an animation form that originated with Japanese anime.
- The moment when Kaniaku is caught in the hydraulic press recalls the scene from the movie The Terminator (1984).
Animation mistakes and/or technical glitches[]
- When Daphne attempts to pull the brakes on the cart, her left foot is shown with four toes instead of five.
Inconsistencies/continuity errors and/or goofs/oddities[]
- The bulletin board with the newspaper clipping reads "Shinjuku Prefecture." However, Shinjuku is not a Japanese prefecture, but a ward (subdivision) of Tokyo.
In other languages[]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Η Κατάρα του Κανιάκου | The Curse of Kaniaku |
Quotes[]
Shaggy: (Shaggy and Scooby enter the factory dressed as businessmen) What'd I tell you Mr. Doo? This place is perfect for your new amusement park. |
Shaggy: Crushed-stacean? |
Mr. Kagawa: And I would've gotten away with it, too, if it wasn't for... (sees Daphne) Hey, you're Daphne. Look everyone it's her, Daphne. |
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| Halloween | Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! Season 2 |
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